Budget-conscious gifts for foodies

Even in the best of financial times, sticking to a budget for holiday gifts can be difficult.

(Updated: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 1:59 PM)

Fortunately, for foodies on the list, there's never been a better time to find a great gifts in any price range. Here's a quick pick of new and innovative kitchen gift ideas priced from below $25. This seasons food stars -- Rachael Ray and Paula Deen -- are offering their own creative spin on top cooking tools. The new Rachael Ray Bench Scrape ($10.00) is designed to corral and transport sliced and minced onions, garlic, finely chopped nuts and other ingredients from the cutting board into a bowl, pot or pan. Also from Rachael Ray is the Lazy Spoon/Ladle Set ($19.99), a weighted silicone spoon and ladle featuring a notch on the handle to balance the tool on the rim of a pot or pan.

Paula Deen - famous for her down-home cooking - offers wooden tools with Silicone Heads (2 piece spoon/spatula set, $14.99) combine sculpted Acacia wooden handles with silicone. For bakers, the Paula Deen 4-Piece Measuring Cup Set ($5.99) and 5-Piece Measuring Spoon Set ($4.99) update often-used basics with retro styling.

Latte and cappuccino lovers may appreciate the new battery-powered BonJour Oval Frother ($19.99), a simple way to enjoy frothed milk beverages at home. Both skilled and novice cooks can benefit from using a meat thermometer to ensure meats and poultry are roasted perfectly every time. The BonJour Compact Meat Thermometer ($24.99) uses a probe to monitor the cooking temperature without opening the oven door.

Kitchen classics like fashion, never go out of style, be it's a well-tailored shirt or a well-constructed pan - and any classice is usually worth a little extra. Here are a few timeless kitchen favorites that have been updated with new features and designs to make home cooking, baking and entertaining easier. The Circulon "Cook Great, Look Great" divided skillet ($49.99) features a large 12-inch pan divided in half to cook different foods at once in the same pan. It also has a nonstick surface so you can cook with little or no added fat to save calories.

For pancake lovers, the new Paula Deen Stoneware 4-Quart Batter Bowl ($29.99) has the look and feel of hand-thrown pottery. Practically indestructible, the batter bowl is dishwasher-, oven-, freezer- and microwave-safe.

For tea lovers who enjoy the art of making tea from loose leaves, the new BonJour Round Teapot with a shut-off infuser ($49.99) brings this ancient form of tea brewing into the 21st century. The classic round shape teapot, crafted in translucent heat-resistant, borosilicate glass, has a shut-off system to stop the brewing process.

If there's a chocoholic on your gift list, BonJour's new Hot Chocolate Pots ($39.99 each) may be the winner. The sculpted, microwave-safe ceramic pots in snowman, penguin and peppermint swirl designs are whimsicle enough for children and offer quality for adults. The easy to use hot chocolate pots come with a battery-powered mixing device to blend the chocolate and milk for creamy richness.

Great for making stir-fries, a well-designed wok can also, in a pinch, be used to saute vegetables, prepare a braised chicken dish, or make a savory pan sauce. The heavy gauge Anolon Advanced 14-inch Covered Wok ($79.99) can accommodate an abundance of fresh vegetables, shrimp, chicken and beef, and features an easy to clean nonstick coating. The pan's see-through, tempered glass lid allows you to monitor cooking without letting flavors and aromas escape.

The family-size Paula Deen Signature 5-quart Porcelain Cast Iron Covered Casserole ($89.99) is ideal for hearty casseroles, stews, soups, chili and other favorite one-pot meals. Crafted of heavy-duty cast iron, which is prized for retaining heat, the casserole has an easy to clean porcelain finish, and a decorative swirl pattern on the exterior. It's ready-made for convenient, oven-to-dinner table service.

Coffee aficionados are sure to perk up with the new BonJour Insulated Maximus eight-cup French Press ($79.99), which features a double wall insulated design to keep coffee piping hot longer. For optimum flavor, Maximus has a filter design that shuts down brewing with a simple twist of the knob on the lid, along with a special pouring filter to keep grounds from being poured into cups.

If someone has been especially good this year, lavish him or her with a gourmet set of cookware or a state-of-the-art electric appliance that will provide years of ease in the kitchen. Far from frivolous, these gift ideas are likely to become favorites that are enjoyed everyday, so worth the price tag.

For more information, www.anolon.com, www.bonjourproducts.com, www.circulon.com and www.potsandpans.com.